Leviathan Breaks His Silence

I was looking through the Show No Mercy archives recently and stumbled upon an mp3 from San Francisco one-man black metallist Leviathan I'd posted on April 23, 2008. It appeared with a bunch of interviews from other acts, but there were no words from Wrest (aka multi-instrumentalist and tattoo artist Jef Whitehead) because, as I said then: "Dude won't do interviews." But now he's speaking out for the first time in close to a decade; after a year and change of writing Stereogum's Haunting the Chapel, this is my first installment of Show No Mercy since 2009, and I thought it made sense to relaunch the column with Whitehead's words.

I spoke with him via email about his intense, expansive, claustrophobic, strange, and maddeningly beautiful new album True Traitor, True Whore-- out November 8 via Profound Lore-- the first since 2008's Massive Conspiracy Against All Life. It's one of the best metal albums of the year, but it's impossible to listen to it without thinking about Whitehead's arrest in January 2011 on charges of sexual assault (for allegedly attacking his then girlfriend). He was released on (a subsequently lowered) bail, though it appears the case is still awaiting trial. Nachtmystium's Blake Judd commented on the case in an interview with No Clean Singing, questioning the accuser's credibility, but it's still unclear what happened, exactly. Which is why I thought it was important to talk to him.

Obviously, alleged sexual assault is a serious issue-- one that put Whitehead in the category of Burzum (the project of convicted murderer Varg Vikernes) as a band to boycott. As music writer Chris Weingarten Tweeted (and I Retweeted) at the time: "ATTN Metal fans, today is the day you throw your Leviathan and Twilight records in the trash." I did feel that way. I was disgusted by the details of the alleged crime. And I still am. But, like I've said regarding my discussions with Varg Vikernes in the past, I'd prefer to confront controversial art instead of brushing it under the rug. You know, give someone the rope and see what they do with it, especially in a case like this, where there are currently more questions than answers. Anyhow, here's what Whitehead did with that rope in something he titled "Leviathan vs. Pitchfork."

"I would only hope to make something that takes one away from this shit-sphere."

Pitchfork: Do you feel like your name's been sullied by the charges of earlier this year?

Jef Whitehead: The true harlot has been revealed... I'm playing O.J. and paying for my freedom... [True Traitor, True Whore] is most definitely an expression of what I've been thru in the past year...

Pitchfork: What's the story behind the title True Traitor, True Whore?

JW: Everyone's met one by now, I'd imagine-- not too cryptic.

Pitchfork: How do the songs "Her Circle Is the Noose", "Every Orifice Yawning Her Price", and "Harlot Rising" tie into it?

JW: Wow, listening to music is so much better than trying to explain it. These are true stories, true expressions about real life. I would only hope to make something that takes one away from this shit-sphere...

"Her Circle Is the Noose"

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Pitchfork: There'd been talk of your dissolving Leviathan after Massive Conspiracy. Was that just a rumor? If it was something you did consider, why did you decide against it and record new material?

JW: Got raped by a label... nuff said!!!!

Pitchfork: A number of the songs strike me as more direct musically than the material on Massive Conspiracy-- there's a punk energy on "Brought Up to the Bottom", for instance. The songs are generally shorter. The guitar sound can be more psychedelic. Do you agree with any of this? If so, what influenced the shift?

JW: Just wanna make musics to fuck, son.

Pitchfork: True Traitor is a great sounding record. Where did you record it?

JW: Mmmm, thank you, but most of the sound is owed to Herr Sanford... done the engineering on the last four projects I can stand behind... was done at Engine Studios... great producer, as well.

Pitchfork: This is usually a boring question, but I'm interested since you don't speak in public much: What have you been listening to? What influenced True Traitor, True Whore?

JW: Actually, a lot of this was influenced by me getting a chance to see a dear friend front Skull Defectz... groovy!!!! Don't give too much a shit about kvlt these days.

Pitchfork: How do you distinguish what's Lurker of Chalice material and what's Leviathan?

JW: So wanna make another Lurker of Chalice... intimidated by sophomore curse, a little... got material... when I did that, I'd an amazing muse... she's left us...

"Black metal will always be a feeling for me... [a] reason to exist."

Pitchfork: You haven't done "press" for a few years now. Why'd you decide to talk now?

JW: People who can't play judge... "if you can't play shit/don't say shit." Talk is so cheap...

Pitchfork: I saw this interview you did with Maelstrom from 2001-- one of the only ones I've seen-- and you talk about how, in your mind, Today Is the Day is a black metal band (via the attitude, feel). Do you still see black metal in "non black metal" bands? Or, in other words, what is black metal to you?

JW: Black metal will always be a feeling for me-- "transcendental"????? No... His name glorified. Changed my life on this shit ball... reason to exist.

Pitchfork: American black metal has changed quite a bit since you started Leviathan in 1998-- things have developed musically, and people around the world view it in a different light. As someone who's been around it for more than a decade, what are your thoughts on American black metal in 2011? Are you at all interested in what's going on in that realm? You've obviously played with Nachstmystium, Krieg, and Twilight, et al., so you're out there, collaborating with other players.

JW: Just heard an impressive band from my neck of the woods, Deafheaven... but they among most nowadays USBM owe John Gossard (Weakling) $$$$$... your plagiarism is... cute... but you're outed... and need soap, son. Imperial and Judd are two of my best buds.

Pitchfork: In that same Maelstrom interview I mentioned above, you said: "As far as black metal… Without talking shit, I think that definitely the stuff that I'd rather listen to comes from Europe." Is this still true?